OHCA Spring Summer 2017

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Spring/Summer 2017 The Oregon Caregiver 17
Oregon faces a tough budgetary
climate, with difficult decisions
being made at the capital this
legislative session. To gain perspective
on the priorities of Oregonians, the
Oregon Health Care Association worked
with Opinion Access Corp and the
American Health Care Association to
carry out a web-based survey of 800
Oregon voters between December 2016
and January 2017.
The results of this poll are striking
and show an overwhelming support of
Medicaid and a high level of opposition
to any cuts to services. Medicaid
provides much needed services to
vulnerable, low-income older adults and
people living with disabilities and is
the largest payer of long-term services
and supports (LTSS)—both nationally
and in Oregon. According to the Kaiser
Family Foundation, over 51% of all LTSS
services in the U.S. are paid for through
Medicaid.
Each month, over 34,000 Oregonians
receive Medicaid-funded LTSS. This
includes 39% of residents of assisted
living communities, 41% of memory care
residents, and nearly 60% of individuals
served by Oregon’s nursing facilities.
From early on, Oregon has been at the
forefront of the movement to embrace
home and community-based services,
which allow individuals in need of care
the ability to receive it in their own
homes or in a home-like setting. In 1981,
Oregon became the first state to receive
a waiver from the federal government
to provide Medicaid funded services
in community-based settings. Today,
nearly 80% of all Medicaid LTSS dollars
in Oregon go to serving people in these
settings, the highest rate of any state in
the nation.
Unfortunately, the budgetary challenges
facing Oregon this fiscal biennium
threaten to undermine our LTSS system.
Initial legislative budgets recommend
flat funding of Medicaid reimbursements
in long term care settings. Proposed
cuts to programs like Oregon Project
Independence and the increased labor
costs associated with the mandated
increase in the state’s minimum wage
add an additional layer of complexity to
these fiscal challenges.
Keeping all this in mind, the survey asked
several questions about perspectives on
Medicaid and also asked questions about
voter’s priorities for the LTSS system. The
findings show that 87% of Oregon voters
oppose cuts to state Medicaid funding
for nursing homes. In fact, over 81% of
Oregon voters believe the State of Oregon
should pay higher Medicaid rates to offset
the increased labor costs associated with
the minimum wage increase implemented
this past year.
New Long Term Care Polling
Data from Oregon Voters
By Walt Dawson, Oregon Health Care Association
DATA & RESEARCH
Eight in ten believe the state should pay higher Medicaid
rates to protect seniors even in tight budgetary times.
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